Republican Presidential Candidate Debate #10 – St. Petersburg 11/28/07 - Official Discussion Thread

[CounterCounterCulture]

Republican Presidential Candidate Debate #10 – St. Petersburg, Florida 11/28/07 - Official Discussion Thread

CNN will hold this debate, hosted by Anderson Cooper, with submitted questions in video form via YouTube.
8pm ET/5pm PT

Hosted by Anderson Cooper

Candidates participating:

• Rudy Giuliani
• Mike Huckabee
• Duncan Hunter
• John McCain
• Ron Paul
• Mitt Romney
• Tom Tancredo
• Fred Thompson

[WFTR]

Thanks for the kind words. I guess I've never thought of Mr. Hunter as having shifty eyes, but I agree that his eyes seemed to move more tonight than they have in previous debates. Overall, he seemed more animated tonight. He needs to show that life, but you are right about how no candidate can do well in today's political climate if the TV isn't kind.

Bill

[WFTR]

I’m with Romney or Thompson.

I suspect that one of them will be the nominee. In spite of what some pundits say, I still think Mr. Thompson has some very credible nomination scenarios. My first choice between those two is Mr. Romney because of his executive experience.

Bill

[topfile]

GIULIANI price looking to dive.....Sell!....Sell!!!

[dawn53]

Try these websites:
www.stillmadeinusa.com
www.shopforamerica.com
www.buyamericanmart.com

[RockinRight]

Ron Paul -

Nuts as usual, but actually gave a slightly less wacked-out answer on the NAU question than I expected him to. Still sounds like Dennis Kucinich on national defense and the WOT.

Fred -

Did well and probably the funniest one tonight. He didn’t get as much chance to talk as I’d have liked.

Hunter -

Great answers, uninspiring delivery.

Tancredo -

Great to listen to, bad candidate.

Romney -

#2 behind Fred in this debate, did well except hemming and hawing about his “gays side by side in the military” comment from way back.

McCain -

McCain debates well, and sounded good but I know he’s still nuts. Also seemed belligerent on the waterboarding question.

Huckabee -

The guy is likeable and handled himself well. I just don’t trust him on immigration, regulation, or tax and spend issues.

Rudy -

Seemed stumped ever since Mitt kicked his ass at the beginning of the debate.

[Rick_Michael]

“What are your specific concerns about Huckabee?”

Illegal immigration in specific. If he changed his stance on that, I might not concern over him...all too much.

[County Agent Hank Kimball]

I have every confidence that Hunter’s performance tonight will push him from 1 percent to 1.2 or even 1.3 percent in the polls.

I love the guy - and love Tancredo even more. But they both need to step aside and let the real candidates fight it out.

I’d say the same about Ron Paul, but Hunter and Tancredo both have decency, whereas Ron Paul is a lunatic and a megalomaniac.

Plus he has two first names.

Hank

[M203M4]

...webcam questions from Unabomber look-a-likes in murky basements...

...the boundless paranoia of middle-aged media executives about the kids and their mysterious “Internet”...

...the media will probably award a win to Mike Huckabee, the easy listening music candidate at home in any crowd, fluent in simpleton speak and the one man on the stage tonight who led the audience to roaring cheers by boasting that he had a special qualification to be president that none of the second-raters on the stage could match: A degree in Bible Studies from Ouachita Baptist University of Arkadelphia, Arkansas.

Thanks, made me lol. :-)

[mommya]

I thought Tancredo, Paul, and Hunter seemed the most genuine tonight. I loved it when Paul said that Washington hadn’t changed him - and I thought Tancredo was awesome when he responded to the part about a mission to Mars. Huckabee had the funny line - but Tancredo spoke the truth - the tough cuts and spending restraint have to occur - and the space program is as good a place as any to start.

Of course these three got the least talking time - but that just left more time for the others to dig their own graves. I’m talkin Romney and Juliani for sure. They didn’t do themselves any favors tonight.

Fred Thompson did OK, but I didn’t care for that ad he used - besides it aimed at the wrong guys - Juliani should have been the target.

Huckabee just does not appeal to me. What some see as sincerity - I see as preacher talk. I don’t like the prominence of his faith as a determining factor for the way he would lead this country. I am all for Christian values, but political decisions need to be based on the Constitution, not someone’s interpretation of the Bible - Oh yeah - he bombed on the “What would Jesus do?” question.

Overall - CNN couldn’t have been much more biased. It just becomes sadder and sadder to see the reality and direction of MSM control and influence. Even though I don’t agree with all of you on issues - It is a pleasure to be in the company of some of the most informed folks in the country. I’m afraid the internet is our only hope.

[Lexinom]

I’m a Hunter supported, but I think McCain and Huckabee gained the most this evening.

[Eva]

I sure liked his answer on China trade, buy American.

[RockinRight]

I have to say Ron Paul actually answered that better than I expected to.

I suppose there will be icicles in Hell now...

[WFTR]

Thanks for the kind words.

I disagree somewhat about Mitt Romney. I think he's a perfect executive in the sense that he knows that he can't know everything but knows how to put together a team to find and implement the right answers. That's the most important quality that we need in a president. I understand that being "presidential" has traditionally meant creating the impression that one can do everything alone and keeping the team a secret, but I appreciate his being open about the need to surround himself with good people. He occasionally stumbles a bit with a word, but I didn't sense that he was backing down at all tonight. In past debates, he's been more defensive.

Bill

[ansel12]

“We need to talk, I lived in San Diego County for year’s, I had a pool service guy and I had a garbage pickup guy I never asked any of them if they were illegal. It never came to my mind to do that.”

---

The pool company is easy, tell them that as a homeowner that you have concerns about liability and that you would like information on their bonding and insurance, (because their license number is required to be on their truck and all advertising already).

Check them out on the internet with the state contractor’s board.

If the pool man makes you suspicious, interview him, talk to anyone you like, the boss, the owner, whatever, you don’t want to lose your home.

The Yellow pages is full of pool guys.

The trash company, I don’t know, is it a subdivision deal or what?

[floriduh voter]

Is this a religion thread? Just wondering.

[topfile]

What I’ve read about him on Illegal immigration looks great.
No amnesty. No benefits. Send um home. Build the fence.

[RockinRight]

I think Fred was trying to say he’d go much farther (by mentioning the 100 the OMB has), but I would have rather had him name three first.

[Big E]

Oh yeah, I agree, McCain has no shot. I just found myself hating him somewhat less tonight. I wanted Romney to stuff him on the waterboarding question, but he didn’t do it. However, he is useful when sticks up for the war in Iraq.

As for Romney, I think he would be fine as a candidate. Right now, he’s not my guy though. Too many liberal positions. For me, the answer to his question, “so, should I have to ensure that people I hire are not illegals?” YES! Of course, he’s asking it to Rudy, so what do you expect, he should have asked it to Tancredo. That’s why Verizon, Wal-Mart, Tyson Foods, all these big companies get away with hiring thousands of illegals, through contractors and sub-contractors. There were illegals working on a Wal-Mart project? Shazam! We didn’t know anything about it. Goll-ee. Yes, Mitt, you should have thought about your landscaper using illegals. However, it does seem as if Romney is more prime-time than some of these guys. His ad looked like it was actually done by professionals. Some of those 30 second videos were laughably bad. I’ll take Romney over Huckabee, though.

[mommya]

oops - sorry (sp)- guiliani - can you tell I am not a supporter?

[RockinRight]

I’ll give McCain credit here...he slapped L. Ron down good.